UCLA Voting Rights Project and CHIRLA Sue U.S. Department of Homeland Security Over Threat to Purge California Voters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alberto Lammers, alammers@luskin.ucla.edu

UCLA Voting Rights Project and CHIRLA Sue U.S. Department of Homeland Security Over Threat to Purge California Voters

Lawsuit says administration is using unsupported noncitizen-voting claims and unreliable government records to target the state’s voter rolls.

WASHINGTON (September 2, 2026) — The UCLA Voting Rights Project (VRP) joined by Sr. Advisor Xavier Becerra filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), and Pedro Trujillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen and registered California voter, challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s use of federal databases to erroneously target naturalized citizens who are eligible to register to vote.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the plaintiffs’ case argues that the DHS and the Department of Justice are interfering with free and fair elections by using unlawful and inaccurate federal databases to bolster accusations of voter fraud and overreach in election administration.

The complaint follows claims by the White House that more than 278,000 noncitizens are registered to vote nationwide, including 190,832 in California. According to the lawsuit, federal officials have not disclosed the methodology or evidence supporting those figures. 

The lawsuit argues that DHS’s own communications have contradicted similar claims. After the agency alleged that nearly 16,000 noncitizens were registered to vote in Nevada, a department official reportedly acknowledged that the figure represented a “ceiling” and that each voter would need to be manually reviewed. DHS subsequently provided Nevada officials with 185 identification numbers associated with voters, the agency said it was confident were noncitizens.

“Naturalized citizens, like my mother, are not second class citizens. They have the right to exercise their vote, just like all citizens,” said Xavier Becerra, voting rights attorney and senior advisor for the VRP and co-counsel in the case. “The Trump Administration’s attacks on voting are premeditated, and their schemes to interfere in our November 3rd elections are predictable. Today, we file this action against Donald Trump to defend voters like my mom who believe in free and fair elections.”

The lawsuit alleges that the administration may be comparing voter rolls with undisclosed government databases. Because those systems may not reflect when a lawful permanent resident later becomes a U.S. citizen, the complaint argues that database matching could produce false results that disproportionately affect naturalized voters.

Several states are now poised to lose federal funding if they refuse to match their voter rolls against a system the complaint says is notorious for mislabeling valid voters as noncitizens. The federal officials have also threatened election officials with prosecution if they knowingly retain noncitizens on their voter rolls.

“The Constitution gives states responsibility for administering elections and permits Congress—not the White House or federal agencies—to alter the rules for federal elections,” said Chad Dunn, legal director of the VRP. “The executive branch cannot take control of state voter rolls or create a national voter-screening system without authorization from Congress. Threatening states with prosecution or the loss of federal funding does not give them authority that the Constitution and federal law do not provide.”

The complaint cites previous voter-list reviews and research documenting the difficulty of accurately matching records in large government databases when they contain outdated, incomplete, or inconsistent information. The plaintiffs allege that DHS’s treatment of naturalized citizens, its use of government databases containing voters’ personal information, and its dissemination of unsupported claims violate the Constitution and federal privacy and administrative laws.

CHIRLA says the administration’s actions have created fear among naturalized citizens, reduced participation in some of its programs, and forced the organization to redirect resources toward voter protection and community education.

“Unsupported claims of noncitizen voting are creating fear and confusion in immigrant communities and among naturalized citizens who have every right to vote. These threats are designed to intimidate eligible voters and undermine the civic engagement work we do at CHIRLA to ensure immigrant communities can participate fully and confidently in our democracy. We will not stand by while baseless allegations are used to silence voters,” stated Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).

Trujillo was born outside the United States, became a naturalized citizen in 2021, and is registered to vote in California. He plans to vote in the November 2026 election.

“I was born outside the United States, but I earned my citizenship and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2021. I have the same right to vote as any citizen born here, and I plan to exercise that right in November. I should not have to fear being treated like a criminal simply because I am an immigrant and choose to vote. My citizenship is real, my voice matters, and my right to participate in our democracy should not be questioned,” Trujillo said.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to stop the administration from imposing the voter-list matching effort on California, require Markwayne Mullin, the Secretary of Homeland Security, to rescind his letter to the state, and prohibit future action that does not comply with federal law. They are also seeking a declaration that the administration’s actions are unlawful and unconstitutional.

Read the complaint here.

About the UCLA Voting Rights Project

The UCLA Voting Rights Project was established to protect equal voting rights for all Americans through strategic litigation, social science research, and policy advocacy. The VRP seeks to ensure that all individuals are afforded equal access to the electoral process and representation in governance. For more information about the UCLA Voting Rights Project, please visit vrp.ucla.edu.

About the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights

CHIRLA was founded in 1986 to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees. CHIRLA became a place for organizations and people who support human rights to work together for policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants.